The Art of Saving Time in 6 Easy Steps

R. Geoffrey Blackburn (www.rgeoffreyblackburn.com) “Indian Summer”, oil on linen, 28″ x 36″. Blackburn won the First Place Featured Artist Award in the Manhattan Arts International “New Beginnings” exhibition.

Time management is one of the biggest challenges for busy Artrepreneurs. As a career coach for artists, helping them with saving time is as important as showing them ways to save and earn more money. So, I’m always seeking new ways to organize their projects.

As Carl Sandberg said, “Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.”

I know you’d prefer to spend your time pursuing your creative ideas than fighting against the clock so I’ve prepared some ideas for you to stretch time. If, after you read these tips, you’re eager to get some more, you can read Time Saving Tips for Busy Artists at http://renee-phillips.com/time-saving-tips-for-busy-artists/

Be prepared.
Make tomorrow’s plans and write your “To Do” list the night before. Arrange the activities in order of urgency. Allocate a realistic amount of time for each project so you avoid overloading your schedule. Another way to be prepared includes organizing your files and other materials in the best way possible to help you locate them quickly.

Keep a closed door to your private studio.
Your creative space should be considered sacred and undisturbed. Let others know that you want to be left alone with your creative projects. You should also provide time to brainstorm, daydream, meditate and restore inner balance. As often as possible, set limits on your social and family demands that are interfering with your artistic production.

Break large projects down into smaller chunks.
If you are setting aside important projects waiting for that big block of time to be available you’ll discover that it may never arrive. I often apply the 20-30-minute strategy and tackle large projects with small amounts of time on a regular basis. It’s amazing how much I accomplish this way.

Return phone calls, emails and texts, in priority order.
Not all messages are of equal importance. Instead of returning your texts and email messages in the order they came to you, decide which ones are the most important and most urgent. Follow that order instead and you’ll relieve some unnecessary stress.

Do what you do best and delegate the rest.
Make a list of the areas you excel in and enjoy. Then, consider which tasks you can delegate to an intern, friend and/or family member. For example, do you have a talent for website design and Photoshop while your friend is savvy when it comes to social networking? Suggest that you exchange tasks with them and you’ll both be happier and productive. Or go to the local college and offer a job to an intern who will appreciate the experience.

Strive for excellence, not perfection.I’m guilty of this one so I try to remember that perfectionism is unattainable and striving for it is a form of self-sabotage. As a perfectionist, you can waste so much time redoing projects and often may not complete them. Don’t let this happen to you. Instead, strive to do better each time you start a task or creative project.

If you suffer from perfectionism and are afraid of making mistakes, remember this… When weaving a blanket, an Indian woman intentionally leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out. Isn’t that amazing?